


Hearts on Fire

by ShootingStar13



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adoption, Alpha Jet (Avatar), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Confessions, Devotion, Divorce, Families of Choice, Family, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Freedom Fighters, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jet (Avatar) Lives, Jetko Renaissance Week, Love Confessions, M/M, Omega Zuko (Avatar), Orphans, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Promises, Songfic, Sort Of, Tea Server Zuko (Avatar), Tenderness, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27038572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShootingStar13/pseuds/ShootingStar13
Summary: Jetko Renaissance Prompt Fills:Day 1: ConfessionsDay 2: WarmthDay 3 + 5: Promises + Devotion
Relationships: Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77
Collections: Jetko Renaissance Week





	1. The Only Exception

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to be apart of jetko renaissance week, this ship needs positive content so bad as of late, and I think this is the way to do it.

Stepping out onto the stage, Zuko swings his guitar around to his front and takes a seat on the wooden stool placed on center stage. 

Swallowing, he takes a deep breath and looks up to see half his group of friends getting a round of drinks at the bar with the other half already cheering for him. It's endearing and embarrassing, but he's happy to have such good friends. 

Zuko then blinks through the blinding white light of the spotlight on him and his eyes scan across the bar to where Jet is standing. He sees Jet giving him two thumbs up as an extra boost of encouragement from him, and it's already enough to make Zuko's heart melt. But then they make eye-contact, golden eyes staring into deep umber ones, and Zuko bravely flashes Jet a reserved grin. Thankfully, Jet returns the smile before he follows their friends back to their booth so he can watch Zuko’s performance.

Zuko returns his attention to himself and begins speaking into the microphone. He tells the audience he’s dedicating the song to his current crush, in hopes his crush hears his love confession, figures out it’s about him, and either returns the sentiment or rejects him.

There are a few “aww's” from the audience and some wolf-whistles from his friends’ booth that he knows is coming from Sokka and Toph as they’re the only two who know of the cheesy high school rom-com plot Zuko's devised to confess his feelings to Jet. 

But it’s not like Katara, Aang, and Suki don’t know about his crush on Jet. 

Hell, Jet's friend group, people Zuko doesn't even hang out with all that much, all know about Zuko's crush on Jet. He's not subtle, but then again, Jet isn't oblivious either.

Sometimes, Zuko can tell from Jet's quick-wit flirting that possibly there could be something more going on between them. But playful flirting is not a solid confirmation of feelings. So, Zuko desperately needs to tell the 22-year-old political science major he wouldn't mind spending the rest of their lives together. 

Zuko pushes down any last bit of nerves he has about performing and begins strumming his guitar.

Then he starts singing. 

_ “When I was younger, I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind...He broke his own heart, and I watched as he tried to reassemble it...And my momma swore that she would never let herself forget...And that was the day that I promised I'd never sing of love if it does not exist! But darlin' you are the only exception, you are the only exception, you are the only exception, you are the only exception...”  _

Zuko can remember from a young age; the screaming fights, the broken bowls and plates, and the shattered hearts that came with his parent’s messed up relationship. It was toxic from both sides, but his father had become more and more physically and emotionally abusive as the years went on. 

Then it became too much for them to endure, and they had to leave for their own safety.

Zuko thought the divorce would fix everything, but things only got worse. Between the constant custody battles, the moving around from home to home every week, and hearing his mother sob in the middle of the night as she tried to pick up the pieces of herself for her children’s sake until she couldn't do it anymore was too much for Zuko to witness at only nine-years-old. 

It all had scarred him for life, much deeper than the physical scar he received from his father when he was thirteen.

But it also made receiving and reciprocating love so much more of a chore than it should be for any kid. 

_ “Maybe I know, somewhere deep in my soul, that love never lasts...And we've got to find other ways to make it alone, but keep a straight face. And I've always lived like this, keeping a comfortable distance...And up until now, I had sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness. Because none of it was ever worth the risk!”  _

Zuko swore off relationships early. He was only eleven-years-old when he decided that falling in love was not worth the heartache that came with the inevitable end. He hardly dated in high school. But he had a few dates here and there to appease his Uncle and to not give the girls crushing on him any false hope. But that was the extent of his dating life.

Until he met Jet, during his Freshman year of college, and crushed on the Sophomore harder than he’s ever crushed on anyone before.

He’s terrified, but Zuko knows he can move on from his childish fears, take a leap of faith, and allow himself to fall for Jet.

Because he's willing to risk it all for him. 

_ “I've got a tight grip on reality. But I can't let go of what's in front of me here. I know your leaving in the morning, when you wake up, leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream. Ooh!”  _

Zuko looks up, braving the chance he might get rejected, and flashes Jet a hopeful yet venerable smile. 

And at that moment, Jet stares, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Zuko doesn't know what to make of his reaction, and it seems neither does Jet. But with a swift elbow to his ribs from Aang, Jet blinks away his disbelief and looks at Zuko, returning a much more confident smile his way.

The smile alone is enough to take Zuko's breath away.

_ “You are the only exception, you are the only exception, you are the only exception, you are the only exception. And I'm on my way to believing. Oh, and I'm on my way to believing...”  _

Zuko finishes the song and receives a full round of applause. But that doesn't matter to him because all he can focus on is Jet, who has made his way to the front of the crowd of people and is trying to say something to Zuko over the cheers of the crowd.

But Zuko can't understand what he's trying to say. And before Zuko can say anything in return, or even get off the stage to talk to him outside of the bar in private, Jet leaps up on stage with him, much to the bar owner’s chagrin, and pulls Zuko in for a hug. 

“I feel the same way.” Jet whispers into his ear, his arms tightening around Zuko's midsection as if he'd float away if he were to let go. 

Zuko almost believes it is a dream, and he's ready to die of happiness but returns the hug instead, pressing his face into Jet's shoulder.

“I’m glad.” Is what Zuko responds with moments into their hug. 

It's for a second, but something pulls Zuko back to reality, and realizes he's got an entire bar of people watching him and Jet. He can hear the entire audience cheering for them, and somehow he can make out his friends being their loudest supporters of all. And though on another day this amount of public affection would send him running, Zuko can’t bring himself to care about the spectators.

All he cares about is him and Jet right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did I take some elements about my feelings of love based upon my own parents fucked up divorce and projected it onto zuko? 
> 
> maybe so.
> 
> Hope you've enjoyed my first fic of four fics for jetko renaissance week! 
> 
> In case you don't know, the song Zuko sings in The Only Exception by Paramore.


	2. Hold You Close

Jet hates the Northern Water Tribe. 

Okay, well hate might be a strong word, but he has strong feelings about his distaste for the place for a number of reasons.

Or, well, two very good reasons. 

One reason being the nobility is unbearably stuck up and have no sympathy for those lower than them. But Jet doesn't just hate the Northern Water Tribe because the nobility is mostly pretentious assholes. No, Jet hates it there because it's unbearably cold. 

And unfortunately for him, he’s at the Northern Water Tribe for the next week for some world summit meeting or something. He’s not entirely sure what the details are exactly since he’s not obligated to go and chose not to go in the first place. 

Instead, he’s here to support his loving and beautiful husband, the one who actually needs to attend the meetings since he's the leader of an entire nation after all. 

Initially, Jet figured he could get away with treating the visit north as a vacation of sorts. But after figuring out that the meetings ran so long that Zuko and all of their friends were too exhausted by the end of the day to do anything afterward, he realized it was a bust. Which left Jet alone during the day. In the cold. Openly bitter and shamefully pouting the entire day because he isn’t having any fun on this failure of a vacation. 

Worst of all? Zuko rises with the sun every morning. It's something he does every morning but this time it's different. Because it leaves Jet alone in bed to shiver underneath the caribou-otter fur blankets until he's wide awake, staring at the ceiling and contemplating igniting his bed on fire because it seems that the only way he could possibly warm-up.

Instead, he's forced to get up because he can't stand the cold any longer, because, hopefully, getting up and moving around will allow his body to warm up. 

Jet has a plan, though. He’s going to get some revenge against his husband for leaving him to fend for himself in the freezing mornings in the Northern Water Tribe. And no amount of negotiating will save him. 

On the second to last day of their stay, Jet wakes up when the sun beckons Zuko awake.

It's a little insulting that the sun is more seductive than he is. 

Before Zuko can slide out of bed, Jet quickly tightens his arms around the firebender’s waist, trying his damnedest to absorb the warmth radiating off him. 

“Jet,” Zuko mutters. His hands move back under the covers as he attempts to untangle the tightly woven lock of fingers keeping him trapped in bed. 

“Shhhhh, go back to sleep.” Jet tells him, closing his eyes as the feeling of sunshine creeps over his body and gently lulls him back into a comfortable doze. 

“You know I can’t do that,” Zuko states, interrupting his zen, “plus I have a meeting to go to this morning.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Jet decides and pulls Zuko tighter against his chest, nuzzling his nose in between the smaller man's shoulders.

The heat coming from Zuko's body almost makes Jet envious that he's not a firebender himself. Almost. 

"Are you keeping me hostage then?" Zuko asks him with a half-amused huff.

Jet ponders the notion for a second and decides that exactly what he's doing. Because what better way to keep his husband in bed with him than to keep him prisoner? 

"Yep, I am keeping the Fire Lord hostage." Jet smirks and kisses the back of Zuko's head, hugging him even closer, if that's at all possible at this point. 

"Oh no, what will the people of the Fire Nation say to this? The world leaders? The Avatar?" 

"Oi, don't bring those old nut-cases up in our bed, they're the reason I'm doing this in the first place." Jet growls. Logically, he knows that only two of the four world leaders are actually old, but semantics. 

"So I guess negotiating my release is off the table?"

"You got that right honey." Jet states with a grin. He then takes a moment to flip them both over because lying on his side is killing his arm. Jet moves them so that he's laying on his back and Zuko's laying on his stomach on top of him, body splayed out on top of Jet like he's his own personal human-blanket. 

Zuko doesn't move but Jet can feel him breathing, the rise and fall of his chest, and the warmth of his breath against Jet's neck. It's nice, comforting, and makes Jet want to sleep some more. 

"I really do have to go to the meeting Jet," Zuko says after a minute of silence. 

"Eventually, you'll get there..." Jet groans, knowing he can't keep Zuko on him for the whole day. "But just stay here for a moment longer, please?" Jet gives his lower lip a quiver to show Zuko he means business.

"You're just using me for heat aren't you?"

"Caught me red-handed there babe." Jet chuckles and presses a kiss to the top of Zuko's head. "However...can't a grown man just cuddle with his husband in the mornings? Indulge me on this Zuko, please?" Then he flashes the doe eyes, unashamed of using his vicious adorableness (as Zuko puts it) to get what he wants. 

A second passes as if Zuko doesn't need any longer to think about it, and he sighs and folds arms so that his hands are sandwiched on top of each other underneath his cheek and his palms are pressed against Jet's chest. 

"Fine," Zuko mutters as he closes his eyes. "But if I get into trouble I'm blaming you."

"Understandable." Jet decides, internally celebrating his victory. "Now, sleep." He says and closes his own eyes.

But Jet blinks his eye open once more, taking in the face of his sleeping husband and smiling because he's won the one-man war he's had with the North Pole all week. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jetko cuddles? Hell yes!
> 
> Hope you've enjoyed Day 2!
> 
> Day 3 might be late for me since I've got a lot to do tomorrow, but, I will get it up lol.


	3. This, I Promise You

Zuko meets Jet when he is in the fourth grade.

Jet, a year older than him, is also in his class but he's a fifth-grader. But Jet wasn't held back a grade. The two boys are able to be in the same class together despite being different years because they are in the academically gifted fourth-fifth grade combo class with Sifu Jeong Jeong. 

Although the boys sit on different sides of the classroom, they are immediately friends when, at lunch, Zuko shares his chocolate pudding cup and half his beef-rice bowl with Jet because he didn't have a lunch packed for himself. 

After that lunch period, the two boys are damn near inseparable. They play together at every recess, work on group projects together (when permitted) and at lunch, they share their food just like the first day they met. But there's something more to their friendship. At this point, children in their grades both try their hand at dating, but at their age, it's just hand-holding in the hallways and sitting next to each other at assemblies, if their relationship lasts longer than a week.

However, for Jet and Zuko, it seems that those two boys are meant to last. Even the teachers and staff alike all find it so endearing how quiet little Zuko opens up and becomes more lively around Jet and how rambunctious little Jet manages to soften and be in a state of calm around Zuko. 

But the boys only get that one year to themselves. 

Jet's bounced around the foster system since he was 8, now at 11, he's found a family who loves him and has decided to adopt him. But the family is moving to Ba Sing Se on the last weekend of summer vacation, leaving Jet with the hardest task possible, saying goodbye to Zuko. 

Jet climbs into the abandoned treehouse he and Zuko found in the burnt down house in the neighborhood across from the orphanage one day and sits there nervously, waiting for Zuko to arrive. 

He had passed a note yesterday at the end of class to tell Zuko to meet him in their favorite spot so he could tell him something. 

And Zuko responded that he would be there after lunch. 

Now, after lunch, Jet mindlessly uses his pocket knife to carve into the dark wood of the treehouse floor. 

When Zuko arrives, Jet decides to not beat around the bush and mournfully tells his best friend/boyfriend that he's moving away. 

"Ba Sing Se, huh?" Zuko mutters. "That's so far away..." His gold eyes flood with an onset of tears and Jet quickly responds by hugging him because he can't let Zuko cry. 

"But we got all summer to play!" Jet reassures him. "And—and we can write letters...and uhm...call each other on the phone or something..."

"What if we forget to keep in touch though?" 

And Jet pouts, wondering what he could say to help Zuko feel better.

"Oh! I know." Jet smiles, wide, and takes Zuko by the hand, sitting on his knees in front of the younger boy. 

"What are you doing?" Zuko asks, his tears still flowing down his porcelain cheeks. 

"Zuko, will you marry me?" 

Zuko's blank and silent stare isn't exactly what Jet expects when he asks Zuko to marry him, but then again they are only nine and ten respectfully, so he can sort of understand his shock. 

"Marry you?"

"Yes." Jet decides. "Marry me, as a promise we will forever be together even when I'm living in Ba Sing Se and you're living here...in case we can't call or write to each other."

And Zuko ponders Jet's proposal only for a moment longer before nodding.

"Okay, I'll marry you," Zuko says with a bright smile, one that gives Jet butterflies and makes him want to smile too. 

"Awesome! Okay, let see, how do they do it on the TV?"

"I know," Zuko says as he stands up, beckoning Jet to follow him. 

Jet follows Zuko out of the treehouse and they stand in front of the old oak tree, Zuko telling Jet to carve out two pieces of bark. 

"Okay, so what's the bark for?" Jet asks as he holds both planks in his hands. 

"Since we can't afford rings, we'll use these instead," Zuko explains.

Jet nods and when Zuko asks Jet for his pocket knife he's hesitant to give it to him, not because he thinks Zuko will steal it, but because he's worried Zuko will hurt himself with it. Thankfully, neither scenario happens. 

Instead, Zuko carves his name into the pieces of bark and instructs Jet to do the same. Then Zuko draws a heart around the two sets of names and hands one to Jet along with his pocket knife. 

"Okay, now hold yours on top of mine and repeat after me," Zuko says and Jet does just that. 

"I, Jet."

"I, Jet."

"Take you, Zuko."

"Take you, Zuko."

"To be my husband forever and always even though I'm moving away."

"To be my husband forever and always even though I'm moving away." Jet finishes with a slight grin and Zuko snorts before reciting his own vows.

"And I, Zuko, take you Jet, to be my husband forever and always even though you're moving away." 

"Oh, I know the next part." Jet says excitedly. "You may now kiss the bride." He says and leans over to place a kiss on Zuko's cheek. 

"Groom, not bride." Zuko pouts and Jet laughs before kissing the top of Zuko's nose. 

The summer days move on and Zuko and Jet play together almost every day until the final weekend of vacation when Jet moves away leaving Zuko behind. 

~*~*~

As the years go on, Zuko's home life becomes worse every year. At eleven his mother leaves. At thirteen his father burns him. At sixteen he and his sister are taken out of their home and move in with their Uncle. 

But then things get better. At seventeen, Zuko is reunited with his mother and meets his step-father and half-sister. And at eighteen he moves with Uncle to Ba Sing Se to help him with his tea shop and so he can attend Ba Sing Se University, wondering the first few months after moving there if he would ever see the boy he loved in elementary school again. 

~*~*~

As the years go on, Jet and his mothers live and comfortable life in Bas Sing Se. At twelve his mothers bring in two more kids from the foster care system. At Fourteen Smellerbee and Long Shot become his new younger siblings. At sixteen he joins the football team at school and gains a full scholarship to play at Ba Sing Se University when he attends his Freshman year. 

But sometimes, after Jet goes on a date to the movies or makes out with someone behind the bleachers, he wonders about the little boy he knew when he ten. The boy he loved and married the summer before he moved to Ba Sing Se. 

~*~*~

Jet works for the Water Tribe Shipping Company, a family-owned and run business, that delivers exotic goods imported to Ba Sing Se from the rest of the world to buyers in the city. The pay is great and the hours are flexible with his school schedule and football schedule, which is almost expected because the son of the owner, Sokka, also attends Ba Sing Se University and is on the football team. 

At first, Sokka and Jet didn't get along, but eventually, the two of them became friends, and though they still rip on each other, they aren't how they were before. 

Today, however, Jet wants to run Sokka up the flagpole because he's skipping out on work today so Jet has twice as many deliveries to make in half the time. 

The kicker? Sokka's parents don't even know that he's not working today.

But Jet owes Sokka a big one because he nearly tore the guy's head off when he was tutoring him in physics last weekend. What Sokka is doing today is beyond Jet, but he'll force the details out of him later. For now, Jet has work to do.

Jet's Saturday regulars are the cabbage market, Gyasto's Bakery, the Cactus Juice Bar (only because Sokka is banned from going there unsupervised), the flying bison wool factory. But now he's got Beifong Enterprise, Medicinal Waters, the Jasmine Dragon, and Piandao's gym added to the list. 

After completing his original deliveries, Jet decides to hit up the gym first, because he like Piandao and gets along with him. Then he goes to Beifong Enterprise so he can get that shit show over and done with. He doesn't understand how Toph can stand her dad, he's too condescending for Jet's taste and would love to tell the guy off, but he's a paying customer and the company needs the money. Jet heads to Medicinal Waters next, because he knows the 20-gallon water barrels are going to kill him. Finally, Jet delivers to the Jasmine Dragon.

Jet remembers Toph raving about this place last winter when she ran off in the snow by herself after an argument she had with Katara and got lost on a side of town she never went to and was kindly brought into the tea shop and given something warm to drink as well as some life advice. But Jet's never gone himself. Tea isn't really his thing. Though he does like boba, he just not a fan of stale tasting water. 

The Jasmine Dragon looks about what Jet expected, a carving of a red dragon is wrapped around the sign above the doors, the letters are printed in black and the building is red but the doors are gold. It certainly pops and it seems to be a fairly busy place as Jet sees about a dozen customers sitting down and half a dozen lined up at the counter. 

Jet has two dozen white jade flowers imported from the south-western Earth Kingdom in the boxes, which makes them tons easier to load and unload in the tea shop. 

"As much as I appreciate your help young man, I do have to ask how Sokka is doing since he's our usual delivery man today." An elderly man asks Jet as he hands him the clipboard with the shipping and billing information on it for him to sign. 

"Sokka is good, playing hooky I believe." Jet laughs and the old man chuckles too. 

"Send him my regards then, though I might end up seeing him tomorrow afternoon anyway." The old man says as he hands Jet the clipboard back. 

"Well, he and Toph are fans of your tea shop." Jet says. 

"Do you have any more deliveries this afternoon?" The old man—Iroh according to the paperwork—asks. 

"I don't." Jet says truthfully, grateful that he's finally done for the day. Though he still needs to take the truck back to the storage unit and clock out of work.

"Then come, sit, I always treat anyone who helps out my shop to some tea before they leave," Iroh says, ushering Jet to sit down at one of the empty tables. Jet doesn't really get the opportunity to decline, but that's how it is with old people offering their hospitality. It's damn near impossible to get out of it. So he figures he can spend half an hour taking a tea break and then return the truck, clock out, and then go home to binge-watch TV and binge eat something as well. 

"Thank you." Jet manages to say. "I actually don't drink much tea though." He admits. 

"Nonsense, even my nephew, who thinks all tea is just hot leaf water appreciates the Jasmine tea I brew, so I'm sure there's a flavor out there you may enjoy..." His voice trails off as he begins thinking until suddenly a voice from behind them both gets their attention. 

"Uncle, are you harassing delivery boys again?"

"Boys?" Jet asks, slightly offended that he, a twenty-two-year-old _man_ is mistaken for a mere delivery _boy_. But when Jet looks back at the waiter standing behind him, he's immediately awe-struck. 

The waiter is gorgeous. He's a bit taller than Iroh, but much shorter than Jet, 5'6 maybe, and wearing a white apron over a pair of black skinny jeans, black boots, and a red button-up shirt with half sleeves folded over his forearms. His black hair is long and pulled into a loose ponytail that falls over his right shoulder. He's got a scar over his left eye but his eyes are made of gold and shine like diamonds. 

Jet might just be a little in love already. Which is strange because he doesn't believe in the whole "love at first sight" stuff. 

"None of the sort Nephew," Iroh says with a slight laugh. "I was just asking...oh uh, I apologize, young man, I never did catch your name," Iroh says sheepishly. 

Jet is quickly taken out of his thoughts and he stumbles over his words for a second before answering the old man. 

"My name is Jet." He tells him. 

"Jet?" The waiter says, or asks, Jet isn't sure what the tone of his voice is trying to convey. So Jet just nods. 

"Jet, nice to meet you," Iroh says with a wide smile. "My name is Iroh and this is my nephew Zuko."

And suddenly Jet is hit with a realization. 

"Zuko?" He asks and looks at the waiter—Zuko—and just stares at him. 

"I'm guessing you two are acquainted somehow." Iroh observes, "I'll let you two chat and get you that cup of tea I promised." He adds before bowing and taking his leave.

Jet continues staring at Zuko, too stunned to speak, or move but watches Zuko as he goes around the table and sits in front of him.

"You're him, huh? The boy I knew in elementary school." Zuko asks for clarification. 

"Sifu Jeong Jeong's class right?" Jet asks and Zuko nods. 

Jet opens his mouth to say something more the same time Zuko does and both of them look away, flustered, but still in shock. 

"I'm sorry I never kept in touch," Zuko says. 

"You're sorry? I'm sorry. I just guess old school forms of communication aren't as reliable as people like to remember." 

"Cell phones are amazing," Zuko says with a chuckle.

Quickly, Jet takes out his phone and opens his contacts, he adds Zuko down and hands him the phone to add his number. 

"No excuses this time." Jet says. "We will keep in touch." 

And Zuko smiles, nodding. 

"Now tell me, what's up with you," Zuko says and Jet grins, ready to tell his entire story. 

Jet tells Zuko about starting at a new school in middle school and having to make friends all over again. He tells Zuko about his brother and sister and his moms and how happy their family is. He tells Zuko about Long Shot majoring in psychology at Ba Sing Se University and Smellerbee majoring in Gender and Sexuality Studies. He tells Zuko that he's double majoring in communications and social work and that he's the quarterback for the Ba Sing Se Bears. He tells Zuko about the time he clogged the toilet in the men's locker room in high school, how he broke his arm in a motorcycle accident three years ago and almost couldn't play, and how he's always had him lingering in his head all these years. 

In between all of Jet's talking, Iroh came with two cups of Jasmine tea and as Jet took sips in between topics, he found himself enjoying the taste. This makes Jet think Zuko's uncle to be some sort of tea wizard for being able to make it taste so good.

"It's your turn." Jet says. 

"My life story is like thousands of times more depressing than yours, trust me, it's better you didn't hear it."

"Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Fine..." Zuko sighs and goes on to talk about his mother leaving, his father using him as a punching bag, and how he and his sister had to move in with their uncle after his father was arrested.

"Okay, I stand corrected, it is that bad."

"Told you," Zuko says with a slight pout and Jet reaches across the table to hold his hand. 

"Thank you for telling me though."

"I trust you." Is all Zuko says and Jet smiles.

Zuko smiles back and Jet finds himself remembering something associated with Zuko's smile. 

The old bark of oak wood hidden in an old shoebox under his bed with their names carved into the wood with a heart sketched around them. 

"Odd question...but do you still have it?" Jet asks.

"Have what?" Zuko asks. 

"That old piece of tree bark with our names carved into it." Jet elaborates.

Zuko's face flushes red and he nods. 

"I remember, we got married the summer before you moved," Zuko says with a slight grin. 

"I promised you I would forever be your husband even though I moved away..." Jet muses. 

"And were you? A faithful husband I mean," Zuko asks as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Honestly? No." Jet says with a sigh. 

"I wasn't either," Zuko tells him and then the two of them burst into laughter. 

"We were kids who knew nothing of marriage and yet your response to make me feel better about your moving away was to get married," Zuko says shaking his head. 

"I'd like to believe it was a romantic gesture, now, however, I think it was just sad and desperate."

The two continue talking, small things, stuff that they like, stuff they dislike, and the horrors of college and the uncertainty the future holds. But Jet realizes in the time he's sat down and reconnected with Zuko that something is pulling him closer to him, even though they've barely had a day of getting to know each other. 

"I know it might be, sudden..." Jet says as he looks into the empty teacup in his hands, "but I'd like to take you out, on a date, see if that childhood romance we had can be ingited again." 

And Zuko nods, hiding a smile behind his own cup of tea before responding, "I'd like that a lot...husband." 

~*~*~

Two years later, against the backdrop of a beautiful gold and lavender sunset, in front of a giant oak tree, Jet and Zuko "renew" the vows they took in elementary school in front of their friends and family. And both of them promise to devote themselves to each other, to love each other, and support each other as husbands for real this time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the lateness! hope you've enjoyed it! (though I do feel I rushed editing this so it may read differently from my other stories). 
> 
> also high-key, seven by Taylor Swift works really well for this fic.


End file.
